With the election of Donald Trump, America is entering into uncharted territory. Trump has never had any experience governing, much less confronting the inevitable disasters he will face as president, be they natural or man-made.

The good news for Trump is that this is hardly a new leadership challenge, and there are a lot of historical lessons that he can learn from. “During the night, enter my chamber as seldom as possible,” Napoleon reportedly directed his advisers. “Never awake me when you have good news to announce, because with good news nothing presses. But when you have bad news, rouse me immediately, for then there is not an instant to be lost.”

Troy is the CEO of the American Health Policy Institute and former deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.